Ravenswood
Open Space Preserve,
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District,
San Mateo County

In
brief:
2.7 mile out and back through marshlands, on the edge of East Palo Alto.

Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 2.7 mile out and back hike is extremely easy, on a perfectly
flat trail.

Exposure:
Totally exposed.

Trail traffic:
Light.

Trail surfaces:
Wide dirt trail.

Hiking time:
Under an hour.

Season:
Nice anytime.

Getting there:
From US 101 in San Mateo County, exit #403 University Avenue. Drive northeast
on University about 1 mile, then turn right on Bay Road (look for a post
office on the right corner). Drive about 0.6 mile on Bay Road, through the
preserve gate, then continue 0.2 mile to the trailhead on the left side
of the road.

Trailhead details:
Parking for 12 vehicles in a dirt lot (also note the last 0.2 mile of Bay
Road is dirt). One designated handicapped parking spot, and the trail, although
accessible to wheelchairs, is somewhat overgrown in places. No parking or
entrance fees. Maps at the information signboard. No drinking water. One
portable toilet on the side of Bay Road. There is no direct public transportation
to this trailhead, and the walk from the nearest bus stop is not a safe
trip.

Rules:
No dogs or horses. Preserve is open from dawn to 1/2 hour after dusk.

The Official Story:
MROSD's Ravenswood
page
MROSD field office 650-691-1200

Ravenswood
is perched on the edge of East Palo Alto.On
the way to the trailhead the neighborhood transitions from scrappy mixed
business, to shabby residential, and finally, to downright scary industrial.
I'd like to say that when a visitor reaches the entrance gate all the
trappings of East Palo Alto's run-down neighborhoods fall away, but unfortunately
that's not the case. On my visit there were several abandoned cars right
on the outside of the preserve gate, and once inside the preserve industrial
businesses loom at the western edge of the property. Since I was on my
own, I felt so panicked about this place I made the out-and-back hike
nearly at a run.
The preserve consists of two parcels, kept
apart by intervening private property. The northern section is a 1/2 mile
dead-end trail departing from the side of the Dumbarton Bridge approach. The southern segment is larger, and features a 1.2 mile one-way
path. Both are important additions to the Bay Trail, and are links in
a nearly continuous shoreline wetland chain running along the southern
shores of San Francisco Bay. Ravenswood's main segment, adjacent to the
former port of Cooley Landing, is a restored salt pond returning to marshland.
It's a good place for birdwatching, but there are parks nearby (Don
Edwards, Baylands, and Shoreline
at Mountain View) that offer longer hikes with more of a sense of
security.
From late autumn to spring visitors can
scan the marsh for migrating birds, mixed through the year-round populations
of avocets, ducks, sandpipers, and other common birds. I love the way
the marsh looks after the first few rains of autumn, when fresh green
grass contrasts with the magenta blush of pickleweed and salt marsh dodder's electric
orange hue. Begin at the parking area, and walk back
toward East Palo Alto on a paved path running parallel to the road.
You may see ducks in the slough on the right. At 0.13 mile the trail bends
right, crosses a bridge, and reaches a T junction. Bear left.
At a level grade, the broad paved levee
trail, open to hikers and cyclists, passes through smatterings of mustard,
fennel, and coyote brush. Initially the trail lingers near the property
line on the left, and industrial properties are visible and audible. Small
aircraft traffic from nearby Palo Alto Airport is nearly constant. Gradually,
the buildings and barbed-wire fences fade away, and a salt marsh stretches
to the west. Dock, salt marsh baccharis, and gumplant are joined by pickleweed, sea lavender, New Zealand spinach, and alkali heath as
the trail bends right and heads northeast. In the tidal mudflats on the
right you might see avocets and other sandpiper-like birds. The trail
passes under power lines and draws near to the shoreline. A few plants
have wandered from the sides of the trail to grow unchecked through cracks
in the pavement. There are views to the Dumbarton Bridge, an old railroad
bridge, and the east bay. At 1.34 mile the trail ends at a wooden platform
from which you might view birds in the marsh and bay. When ready, retrace
your steps back to the trailhead.